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Egypt

General Information

Capital City:
Cairo
Population:
76.5 million
Area:
386,660 square miles
Language:
Arabic, English, French, Spanish
Electricity:
220V AC 50Hz
Direct Dial:
20
Driving:
Driving is on the left. International Driving Permit required
Currency:
Egyptian Pound (EGP 1 = 100 Piastres)

Business Hours

Bank:
0830-1400 Sun-Thur
Office:
0900-1500 Sat-Thur
Shops:
0900-1900 Tue-Wed & Fri-Sat, 0900-2000 Mon & Thur (winter), 0900-1230 & 1600-2000 (except Mon & Thur)(summer)
Public Holidays:
<b>2012</b> 09 Jan : Coptic Christmas Day* 04 Feb : Birth of the Prophet 15 Apr : Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter)* 25 Apr : Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only) 01 May : Labour Day 23 Jul : National Day 19 Aug : Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan) 11 Sep : Coptic New Year* 06 Oct : Armed Forces Day 26 Oct : Feast of the Sacrifice 15 Nov : Islamic New Year Note: * These holidays are not official, although Coptic Christians may observe them. Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes the Bairam Feast, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day but most tourist attractions and hotels are not affected. Some disruption may continue into the three-day Grand Feast itself.

Business and social hints

General:
Women should dress conventionally. A headscarf may be useful if visiting a religious or more traditional area. Business is conducted in Arabic, many executives speak English or French. Business cards to have Arabic translation on reverse side. Islamic conventions apply. At meetings it is polite to drink coffee or tea, when offered. Smoking is becoming unacceptable in government and some private offices. Alcohol is available in most major hotels, cafe-style bars and international restaurants. On social occasions dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated
Tipping:
Service charges are normally added to restaurant & hotel bills, however additional tips around 5% are customary. Tips for taxis are around 10%
Clothing:
Lightweights or tropical during summer with warmer clothes for winter and cooler evenings
Emergency Services:
Police: 122 (Cairo), 22147 (Aswan), 960151-122 (Alexandria), 23929 (Suez). Fire: 125 (Cairo). Ambulance: 123 (Cairo)
Hotel Classification:
Hotels and holiday villages throughout Egypt are officially graded from 1 to 5 star but the standard is significantly lower than that of equivalent European star ratings. 1- and 2-star properties are unlikely to be used by British tour operators and are best suited to people prepared to "rough it".

Climate

Apart from along the Mediterranean coast Egypt's climate is nearly entirely desert. The winter period (Nov-Mar) on the Mediterranean coast can be variable although it is usually warm and sunny, summers are hot but temperatures are tempered by strong sea breezes. In the south summer temperatures can be intense, however, the low humidity makes the heat more bearable and winters are dry and sunny

Cairo

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum Temperature °C 18 21 24 28 33 35 36 35 32 30 26 20
Minimum Temperature °C 8 9 11 14 17 20 21 22 20 18 14 10
Average Humidity (mornings) % 68 64 63 55 50 55 65 69 67 67 68 70
Average Humidity (afternoons) % 40 32 27 21 18 20 25 28 31 31 38 40
Average Rainfall 5 5 5 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 5

Customs

Import Allowances:
a) 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200gr of tobacco b) 1 lit of alcoholic beverage c) 1 lit of perfume or eau de cologne d) non-commercial articles up to the value of EGP 100
Contraband:
Firearms, narcotics, drugs, cotton, any kind of bird - live, frozen or stuffed

Health

None.

Compulsary Vaccinations
Yellow fever certificate required if aged over 1 year and entering from an infected area. Passengers arriving by air, without a certificate and in transit from yellow fever infected countries will be required to remain in the airport until their journey resumes.
Recommended Immunisations
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis A, Typhoid. <b>In addition:</b> Rabies & Hepatitis B are also recommended to those travelling to Egypt frequently or intending to spend extended time here.
Risks
None. <b>GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS:</b> Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to Egypt. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Immigration and Passport

Passports must be valid for six months beyond the date of visa issuance, and six months beyond the date of arrival, whichever is later.

The following DO NOT require a visa if travelling for tourism: 1) Nationals of Egypt. 2) Holders of a Re-entry Permit issued by Egypt. 3) Nationals of the UK, EU and USA travelling to Sharm el Sheikh, Taba, Dahab and Nuweiba for up to 14 days. Please note only the above resorts are exempt, if travelling elsewhere in Egypt the usual requirements will apply. 4) Nationals of Malaysia for a maximum of two weeks without a visa. 5) For stays up to 3 months by: a) Nationals of Bahrain, Guinea (Rep. of), Hong Kong (SAR China passports), Kuwait, Macao (SAR China passports), Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen. All other Nationals require a visa. 6) Nationals of the following can obtain a 30 day tourist visa on arrival in Egypt; British Nationals, EU Citizens, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Macedonia, Republic of Korea (South), Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine and USA. (Fee varies depending on nationality) the fee for UK passport holders is currently 15 US Dollars or equivalent in Egyptian Pounds 7) If travelling for business a visa is required, and should be obtained prior to travel.

Entry requirements can change and should be checked with the Consultate of Egypt. This is particularly important for nationals of Arab countries, who are advised to contact the Consulate to confirm the required documentation.

Useful Contacts

Embassy

Consulate of the Arab Republic of Egypt 2 Lowndes Street London, SW1X 9ET tel: +44 20 7235 9777 website: www.egyptembassyuk.org/index.php email: consulate.london@mfa.gov.eg Email contact for inquiries regarding visas: info@egyptianconsulate.co.uk

Airports

  • Alexandria El Nouzha
  • Cairo International
  • Hurghada International
  • Luxor
  • Marsa Alam International Airport
  • Sharm El Sheikh

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